Alex Fries, Football; Michael Dennis, Men’s Cross Country; Tess Hayes, Volleyball Setter
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech’s senior quarterback Alex Fries has been named week one GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The honor is the first of Fries’ career.
Fries, hailing from Saginaw, Michigan, broke the school record for single-game passing yards (471 yards) with five touchdown passes in the longest game played in Michigan Tech history, resulting in four overtimes, erasing a 21-point deficit to overcome South Dakota Mines 52-50 at Kearly Stadium on Thursday evening.
Fries broke the single-game passing record of 441 yards set by Tyler Scarlett in 2012 in just his 12th game as MTU’s starting quarterback, completing 29-of-51 attempts with a long of 59 yards.
Michigan Tech continues its homestand on Saturday, welcoming Hillsdale to Kearly Stadium, slated for a noon kickoff.
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech junior Michael Dennis has been named GLIAC Athlete of the Week after opening his career as a Husky with a 6th-place finish at the third annual Phoenix Open, helping Michigan Tech defend its 2023 team title, scoring 44 points. The honor is the first of Dennis’ early career.Dennis, a native of Saint Johns, Michigan, placed sixth in a field of 152 runners, clocking a time of 25:08.1 to be the low-stick of the day for the Huskies, who saw its top-five average 25:12 in a spread of 15 seconds. The men of Michigan Tech received votes in the USTFCCCA’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They will join the women’s team on Friday, Sept. 20, for the next competition, traveling to the Twin Cities for the Historic Roy Griak Invitational.
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech sophomore Tess Hayes has been named the GLIAC Setter of the Week, and the Huskies jumped into the AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 with a No. 20 ranking.
Hayes helped lead Michigan Tech to a 4-0 record at the Oredigger Classic. She averaged 10.87 assists per set and 1.93 digs per set while also tallying 12 aces and seven blocks. Hayes recorded 34 assists and three blocks in a win over No. 13 Regis, 51 assists and six digs against Gannon, 36 assists and four blocks versus No. 17 Colorado Mesa, and 42 assists and 12 digs against host Colorado Mines.
The Huskies were last ranked in September 2022, checking in at No. 19. Other GLIAC teams in the poll are No. 12 Ferris State and No. 19 Grand Valley State. Last weekend, Tech defeated three teams that went to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and a pair of teams that were in the top 25.
Tech hosts the UP North Tournament this weekend at the SDC Gym. The Huskies open against No. 14 Minnesota Duluth on Friday at 10 a.m. They also play Findlay on Friday and No. 7 St. Cloud State on Saturday.
Sept. 9 – AVCA/TARAFLEX 2024 Division II WVB Poll
| Rank | School (First-Place) | Points | Record | Previous |
| 1. | Tampa (35) | 1,146 | 3-0 | 2 |
| 2. | Wayne State [NE] (6) | 1,109 | 4-0 | 4 |
| 3. | MSU Denver | 1,015 | 4-0 | 7 |
| 4. | Missouri-St. Louis | 957 | 4-0 | 6 |
| 5. | Concordia-St. Paul (1) | 841 | 3-1 | 5 |
| 6. | Nebraska Kearney | 824 | 4-0 | 9 |
| 7-T | Southwest Minnesota State | 807 | 4-0 | 11 |
| 7-T | St. Cloud State | 807 | 3-1 | 10 |
| 9. | West Texas A&M | 771 | 3-1 | 3 |
| 10. | Cal Poly Pomona (5) | 751 | 4-0 | 21 |
| 11. | Cal State L.A. | 698 | 2-2 | 1 |
| 12. | Ferris State | 668 | 3-0 | 18 |
| 13. | Chaminade | 650 | 4-2 | 12 |
| 14. | Minnesota Duluth | 565 | 4-0 | 16 |
| 15. | Colorado Mesa | 493 | 3-1 | 17 |
| 16. | Cal State San Bernardino | 474 | 2-2 | 8 |
| 17. | Central Missouri | 412 | 2-1 | 15 |
| 18. | Central Oklahoma | 357 | 4-0 | 23 |
| 19. | Grand Valley State | 296 | 4-0 | 24 |
| 20. | Michigan Tech | 270 | 4-0 | NR |
| 21. | West Florida | 252 | 3-1 | 20 |
| 22. | Lynn | 195 | 4-0 | 25 |
| 23. | Lewis | 153 | 2-2 | 14 |
| 24. | Regis | 121 | 1-3 | 13 |
| 25. | Augusta | 90 | 3-0 | NR |
